I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Kung Salomo: Jag är här i min trädgård, min älskling och min brud! Jag samlar min myrra och mina kryddor och äter min honungskaka. Jag dricker mitt vin och min mjölk.De unga kvinnorna i Jerusalem: O, ni älskare, ät och drick! Ja, ät och drick er berusade av kärlek!

En oroande dröm

Flickan:En natt när jag låg och sov, var mitt hjärta ändå vaket. Då hörde jag rösten av min älskling, och han knackade på min dörr. 'Öppna för mig, min älskling, min älskade duva

Men jag sa: 'Jag har klätt av mig. Ska jag klä på mig igen? Jag har tvättat mina fötter, ska jag då smutsa ner dem?'

Min älskling försökte öppna dörren, och mitt hjärta bultade.

Jag reste mig upp för att släppa in honom. Mina händer droppade av parfym och mina fingrar droppade av underbar myrra, då jag låste upp dörren.

Jag öppnade för min älskling, men han var borta. Jag blev utom mig. Jag letade efter honom, men kunde inte finna honom någonstans. Jag ropade på honom, men fick inget svar.

Vakterna, som vaktar staden om natten fann mig. De slog mig och sårade mig och vakten på muren rev sönder min mantel.

Jag besvär er, ni Jerusalems kvinnor, att om ni hittar min älskling, så tala om för honom att jag är sjuk av kärlek.De unga kvinnorna i Jerusalem:

O du skönaste kvinna av alla, vad är det hos din älskling som gör honom bättre än andra, eftersom du ber oss om detta? Flickan:

10 Min älskling är solbränd och vacker och bättre än tiotusen andra!

11 Hans huvud är som renaste guld och hans hår är vågigt och korpsvart.

12 Hans ögon är som duvor vid vattenbäckar.

13 Hans kinder är som doftande kryddsängar. Hans läppar är röda liljor, hans andedräkt är som myrra.

14 Hans armar är som guldstänger, fullsatta med krysoliter. Hans kropp är som elfenben, med insatta juveler.

15 Hans ben är som Libanons cedrar, som marmorpelare på de finaste guldsocklar. Ingen kan mäta sig med honom.

16 Hans mun är skön och underbar på alla sätt. Sådan är min älskling, ni Jerusalems kvinnor, sådan är min vän.De unga kvinnorna i Jerusalem: Vart har din älskling tagit vägen, du skönaste kvinna av alla? Vi ska hjälpa dig att hitta honom.

He

I (A)came to my garden, my (B)sister, my bride,
    I gathered my (C)myrrh with my spice,
    I ate my (D)honeycomb with my honey,
    I (E)drank my wine with my milk.

Others

Eat, (F)friends, drink,
    and be drunk with love!

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

She

I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is (G)knocking.
“Open to me, my (H)sister, my (I)love,
    my (J)dove, my (K)perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
    my (L)locks with the drops of the night.”
(M)I had put off my garment;
    how could I put it on?
I had (N)bathed my feet;
    how could I soil them?
My beloved put his hand to the latch,
    and my heart was thrilled within me.
I arose to open to my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with (O)liquid myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
I opened to my beloved,
    but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he (P)spoke.
(Q)I sought him, but found him not;
    (R)I called him, but he gave no answer.
(S)The watchmen found me
    as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
    they took away my veil,
    those watchmen of the walls.
I (T)adjure you, O (U)daughters of Jerusalem,
    if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
    (V)I am sick with love.

Others

What is your beloved more than another beloved,
    O (W)most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
    that you thus (X)adjure us?

The Bride Praises Her Beloved

She

10 My beloved is radiant and (Y)ruddy,
    (Z)distinguished among ten thousand.
11 His head is the finest gold;
    (AA)his locks are wavy,
    black as a raven.
12 His (AB)eyes are like doves
    beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
    sitting beside a full pool.[a]
13 His (AC)cheeks are like (AD)beds of spices,
    mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are (AE)lilies,
    dripping (AF)liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold,
    set with (AG)jewels.
His body is polished ivory,[b]
    bedecked with (AH)sapphires.[c]
15 His legs are alabaster columns,
    set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like (AI)Lebanon,
    choice as the cedars.
16 His (AJ)mouth[d] is most sweet,
    and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
    O (AK)daughters of Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 5:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  2. Song of Solomon 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  3. Song of Solomon 5:14 Hebrew lapis lazuli
  4. Song of Solomon 5:16 Hebrew palate